Endless fuel for children’s imagination
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Amazon’s Prime Book Box is aimed specifically to ensure that children always have a book at hand – a good book.
Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived a… well, most likely a wondrous or at least a very interesting creature. No matter how old we are, we could probably all name a few, from beautiful princesses to terrifying dragons.
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We all found time for fairytale characters in our childhood, sometimes finding it hard to part from them. Amazon editors still regularly come across them in books that have stood the test of time, as well as newer works already considered to be literary masterpieces.
Since there are many stories that we continue to love as adults, there is no reason not to expose children to them early on, letting them roam through magical worlds of children’s literature. With this in mind and building on the subscription economy model, the Prime Book Box was designed.
Currently only available in the USA, a box of literary surprises for budding young readers costs $20.
Following the life per month principle, Prime Book Box has been in operation since last spring, regularly delivering packages with a selection of books. All books are age-appropriate.
Monthly boxes for babies and toddlers contain four board books, while older children receive two books chosen by the Amazon editorial team.
For instance, children up to 5 years of age might receive A Sick Day for Amos McGee, a picture book about a sick elephant by Philip C. Stead, while the next age group under the age of 8 could read about a grumpy man and a scurry of vengeful squirrels in Adam Rubin’s Those Darn Squirrels!. Meanwhile, children between the ages 9 and 12 might follow the adventures of the 12-year-old hero of John August’s fantasy novel, Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire.
It is up to the parents to decide how frequently the boxes will be delivered: monthly, every two months or every three months. Before each shipment, Amazon sends a notification with a preview of what is in the box. When the package arrives, there are no surprises for the parents but plenty for the children.
There is an editorial team in charge of selecting the books for each Prime Book Box for various age groups.
Children also don’t have to worry about other details, such as payment. Their parents pay $19.99 per box, including tax, and shipping is free.
However, only Amazon Prime subscribers qualify for a Prime Book Box subscription, giving them a range of benefits when it comes to shopping and delivery. Meanwhile, the benefit of being a Prime Book Box subscriber is that you get a discount of up to 40% on the books.
Photo: Prime Book Box
Currently only available in the US, the subscription occasionally offers little bonuses to make it even more tempting. For instance, subscribers who signed up before the end of March and paid an extra $0.99, received a gift with their books: Echo Dot, a small smart speaker, which normally costs $70. Although some features are under parental control, children can still use it to set the time, talk to the virtual assistant Alexa, listen to music, and more.
With a subscription to Amazon’s Prime Book Box, children will spend less time in front of a screen – be it computer, smartphone, or TV – and more time surrounded by music and, most importantly, letters. The latter may not seem exciting at first, but they can conjure up extremely convincing beautiful princesses and terrifying dragons.